Petunia plant named ‘Kakegawa S28’

ABSTRACT

A Petunia plant particularly distinguished by the dark purple flower color.

GENUS AND SPECIES

Petunia hybrida

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Kakegawa S28’

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia,botanically known as Petunia hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by thecultivar name ‘Kakegawa S28’. The development of ‘Kakegawa S28’ beganwith the selection of its male parent. Petunia breeding line Pg-9a-2awas crossed with breeding line 2H-1 in 1994. One F₂ plant from thiscross was selected and then crossed to ‘Surfina Violet’. This hybrid wasself pollinated and selected to the F₄ level to produce breeding line5BC-15A-1A-2. In 1996 this line was hybridized with Kakegawa S28'sfemale parent, a blue-flowered petunia of dwarf habit, known as breedingline 3B-80A-1b-1a. These breeding lines are unnamed and unpatentedproprietary lines. In 1997 plants from this cross were grown andobserved to be segregating for habit and flower characteristics. Thisbreeding work was performed in Kakegawa, Japan.

Two hundred F₁ plants from the 1996 cross were transplanted to a fieldin Salinas, Calif. during the summer of 1998. Seven lines were selectedand vegetatively propagated for further evaluation. The seven lines werepropagated again in 1999, and evaluated for fixed characteristics andease of propagation. Final selection of one line was made during thesummer of 1999. The line was established as ‘Kakegawa S28’, anddetermined to have its characteristics firmly fixed.

The terminal 1.0 to 1.5 inches of an actively growing stem was excised.The vegetative cuttings were propagated in five to six weeks. The baseof the cuttings were dipped for 1 to 2 seconds in a 1:9 solution of Dip'n Grow® (1 solution: 9 water) root inducing solution immediately priorto sticking into the cell trays. Cuttings were stuck into plastic celltrays having 98 cells, and containing a moistened peat moss-basedgrowing medium. The cuttings were misted with water from overhead for 10seconds every 30 minutes until sufficient roots were formed.

‘Kakegawa S28’ has been found to retain its distinctive characteristicsafter two years and four cycles of vegetative propagation and thisnovelty is firmly fixed. The variety has demonstrated stability duringthis time and has no inherent variation or off-types.

DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPH

This new Petunia plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographwhich shows blooms, and foliage of the plant in full color, the colorsshown being as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventionalphotographic procedures.

FIG. 1 shows the mature inflorescence;

FIG. 2 shows the entire plant.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctivecharacteristics of ‘Kakegawa S28’. The data which defines thesecharacteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out inSalinas, Calif. Three plants from fully rooted 15 cm diameter pots weretransplanted to one 50 cm diameter hanging baskets and grown in the sameconditions. Data was collected on plants in 50 cm diameter pots eightweeks after rooted cuttings were transplanted. Color references areprimarily to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Societyof London (R.H.S.).

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PLANT

Classification:

Botanical.—Petunia hybrida.

Commercial.—Petunia.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Breeding line 3B-80A-1b-1a.

Male parent.—Breeding line 5BC-15A-1A-2.

Environmental Conditions for Plant Growth

Plants were propagated from vegetative cuttings, and grown individuallyin 15 cm diameter plastic pots in a glass greenhouse located in Salinas,Calif. Pots contained a peat moss-based growing medium. Solublefertilizer containing 18% nitrogen, 8% phosphorus and 18% potassium wasapplied in four, daily irrigations. The fifth irrigation was made withnon-fertilized water. Pots were top-dressed with a slow releasefertilizer containing 18% nitrogen, 8% phosphorus and 18% potassium. Thetypical average air temperature was 24C. The average time to initiateroot development is 7 days after sticking cuttings.

Growth:

Habit.—Branching, mounding.

Form.—Descending.

Plant size.—91 cm total diameter and 76 cm total height when threeplants are grown in a 50 cm diameter hanging basket.

Flowering habit.—Indeterminate.

Time to bloom from propagation.—4-6 weeks after rooting when grown in10-15 cm diameter plastic pots.

Life cycle.—Annual.

Stems:

Color.—Yellow-green (RHS 145A).

Description.—Round, pubescent.

Diameter.—2-3 mm.

Internode length.—4 cm.

Leaves:

Arrangement.—Opposite.

Apex.—Mucronate.

Base.—Oblique.

Color.—Upper surface is green (RHS 137B) and lower surface is green (RHS138B). Venation is yellow-green RHS 145B.

Margin.—Entire.

Size.—Length is 4.8 cm and width is 2.5 cm, both at full expansion.

Shape.—Ovate.

Texture.—Coarse.

Venation.—Pinnate.

Pubescence.—Present, clear.

Number leaves per stem.—Leaves occur every 4 cm; the number per stemwill vary with the size of the plant.

Flowers:

Calyx.—5 sepals; 2 cm×8 mm (length×width).

Corolla.—5 petals, fused.

Flower diameter.—6.0-6.5 cm.

Fragrant.—Yes.

Inflorescence type.—Solitary.

Bud.—1.8 cm in length; 5.0 mm in diameter; color is yellow-green RHS144C.

Pistil.—Compound.

Ovary.—Superior, parietal placentation.

Stamens.—5 total with two long and three short.

Peduncle.—2.7 cm×2 mm (length×width); pubescent.

Petal color.—Limbs: upper — violet-blue (RHS 89A); lower — violet (RHS82A) with green (RHS 144C) veins. Tube: Throat— purple (RHS 77A); Inside— purple (RHS 77C) with greyed-purple (RHS 186A) veins; Outside ispurple (RHS 77C) with green (RHS 144C) veins.

Petal apex.—Reniform.

Petal margin.—Smooth.

Petal pubescence.—Absent.

Tube throat diameter.—1.0 cm.

Tube length.—2.0 cm.

Pollen color.—White (RHS 155C).

Produces seed.—Yes; <1 mm diameter; seed coat with netted pattern;8,000-10,000 seeds/gram; grey-orange RHS 172B.

Disease and Insect Resistance

No susceptibility to diseases or insects noted to date.

Comparison with Known Cultivars

‘Kakegawa S28 ’ is a distinct variety of Petunia owing to its darkpurple flower color and creeping, mounding habit. ‘Kakegawa S28’ is mostsimilar to the variety ‘Purple Wave’; however, ‘Kakegawa S28’ has adarker purple flower color. Table 1 below shows the characteristics thatbest distinguish the new variety from the comparison variety.

TABLE 1 Characteristic ‘Kakegawa S28’ ‘Purple Wave’ Flower diameter6.0-6.5 cm 6.2-6.7 cm Primary petal color (upper) Dark purple Deepred-purple RHS 89A RHS 74A Primary petal color (lower) Light purpleReddish purple RHS 82A RHS 72B

Table 2 below shows ‘Kakegawa S28’ as compared to the parentalvarieties.

TABLE 2 Characteristic ‘Kakegawa S28’ Pg-9a-2a 2H-1 Plant HabitSemi-creeping Erect Creeping Flower Color Dark purple Dark blue MagentaStem Anthocyanin Absent Unknown Absent Leaf Shape Ovate Unknown Ovate

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Petunia plant as shown and describedherein.